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May 24, 2013, 6:00pm

San Antonio 3rd Gen Organization :: Technical Questions :: Cooling :: I just wanted to replace the compressor

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Topic: I just wanted to replace the compressor (Read 191 times)

Lucid
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1986 Chevy Camaro Z28

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I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Thread Started on May 16, 2011, 10:51pm »

When I bought the IROC, it still had all the R-12 original stuff on it. I did a quick retrofit kit and vacuumed it and charged it.

The A/C worked decently for awhile and then the compressor was making this god awful noise when it ran, even when the A/C switch was off.

I bought a reman by Four Seasons on Ebay and the clutch coil connector was in the way of the brackets. Recently, I borrowed the tools from Oreillys and Autozone to pull the clutch and coil and reclock it and put it back together.

Sounds easy right?

[image]

In order to get the coil off, I had to borrow my dads $150 OTC bearing puller he used for his Mercedes. To install the coil and the clutch, I used a hammer and various bolts/socket extensions to drive them down since I could not rent those tools.

Today, I pulled the accumulator/drier off and removed the orifice tube and found this:

[image]

Big shavings and black crud, which was not what I was expecting to see.

Since the car was an R12 car, I am installing green O-rings on all the lines and replacing the accumulator, orifice tube and the compressor. The evaporator and the condenser are going to need to be flushed really well.

If anyone else is interested in the tutorial for removing the clutch, this is the one i used:

http://www.xmanproject.com/tutorials/r4-compressor/repair.php

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pabs
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Re: I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Reply #1 on May 17, 2011, 12:33am »

Im intrested in the "Retro fitting" so i can charge my system...its about to start getting hot here and I can't find R-12 anywhere

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Lucid
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Re: I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Reply #2 on May 17, 2011, 1:49am »

Since the car had original 20+ year old equipment on it, I bought one of those R-134a adapter kits that you screw on over the R12 fittings. Then I vacuumed it out with a vacuum pump using a manifold gauge set and then added oil and R-134a on the low side port of the accumulator.

If you want your compressor to last, I would recommend removing the orifice tube located in the high side line near the bottom of the evaporator housing and replacing the accumulator. The new accumulator will have the new R-134a fittings already on it (less chance of leaking). The accumulator acts as a dessicant and removes moisture from the system and the orifice tube acts as a filter.

You might want to go ahead and buy a green O-ring kit and replace all the O-rings in the system to prevent leaks.

You also might want to flush the condenser and evaporator using flush solvent and an air compressor.

Vacuuming is a must, and you can rent a vacuum pump from Autozone. You also need to rent a gauge set to use the pump and to check to see that your system is holding a vacuum.

I mean, you can slap some retro fittings on there and slap some R-134a and oil in the system but you might be doing a compressor job later on down the line.

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Lucid
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Re: I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Reply #3 on May 18, 2011, 8:55pm »

Today I finished flushing the evaporator and the condenser with an air compressor. Then I installed the orifice tube, new O-rings, compressor with oil, accumulator and buttoned everything up.

I just need a belt and a new cycling switch and to vacuum and recharge the a/c and i'm done.

I really hope there are no leaks.

Its really time consuming to do this, but its not particularly difficult work.

BTW, I installed a Ford .67 Blue orifice tube instead of a .71 white GM orifice tube. I was told that the Ford tube will help with city driving and idling, where as the white tube is better for the highway.

Anyone else hear this?

« Last Edit: May 19, 2011, 5:01am by Lucid »

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Lucid
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Re: I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Reply #4 on May 19, 2011, 5:01am »

Got the belt installed and tensioned. I turned the compressor manually over like 30 times by pressing a screw driver on the rivets on the front hub and it worked nicely.

I need to make another run to the parts store to get a cycling switch, some R-134a and get an R-12 valve core removal tool because the service valve on the new accumulator is old school.

I'm so close I can feel the cold air.

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Lucid
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Re: I just wanted to replace the compressor
« Reply #5 on May 19, 2011, 6:28pm »

I removed the R-12 valve and screwed on the R-134a service port on the low side and replaced the old valve that was in it.

When I pull a vacuum and close the valve, the pressure goes back to zero immediately. There is a leak somewhere, unfortunately.

I guess I will degrease the engine bay and then fill it and use a halogen leak detector on it.

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